Tenrei Bansho Meigi

The Oldest Japanese-Made Dictionary

The Tenrei Bansho Meigi (篆隷万象名義) is a Heian-period manuscript of the Tenrei Bansho Meigi owned by Kozanji in Umegahata Toganoo-cho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, which in 1952 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records six volumes copied in 1114, owned by Kozanji.

Kozanji describes it as the oldest surviving dictionary made in Japan, compiled by Kukai.

The Dictionary

According to Kozanji, it is in ink on paper, each volume 26.8 by 14.6 centimetres. It divides into a first part (volumes one to four), headed as compiled by Kukai and made around 830, and a second part (volumes five and six) continued by another hand.

A note at the end of volume six records that it was copied in 1114 from a text belonging to Prince Atsufumi; the Kozanji manuscript is the only early copy.

What to Look For

Kozanji explains that it abridges the glosses of the Chinese dictionary Yupian, probably to make that vast work easier to use; since the Yupian survives only in part, it is of great scholarly value.

The title Tenrei, seal and clerical script, comes from its showing seal-script forms above and clerical script below, though only in part.

Visiting the Tenrei Bansho Meigi

The manuscript is owned by Kozanji and is not always on display; check the temple's announcements.